Bungie defends Destiny: The Taken King's £/$40 price tag (Eurogamer)

I'll preface this by saying I've preordered the physical CE and I already own the Ghost Edition of Vanilla Destiny. I have the disposable income and I'm relatively free of commitments so I have no issue doing this. I'm also a big collector and having the physical stuff like the coin and the steelbook and stuff is a plus to me.

All that said the pricing structure of this whole thing is way off.

I'll use UK prices here since it's my native currency. I'm also listing the Xbox details since that is my platform and I'm paying the same amount for less content (thanks for that Activision)

Destiny Base game is £54.99
Dark Below DLC 1 is £20
House of Wolves DLC 2 is £20
Taken King Expansion 1 is £39.99

Dark Below contains

4 Story Missions (Worth noting that they are about 1h30 of content combined)
1 Strike
1 Raid
4 PvP maps

That isn't anywhere close to being 36% of What vanilla destiny offered.

House of Wolves contains

6 Story Missions (about 2-2h30 of content combined)
1 Strike
1 Arena (much weaker content that a Raid but fun)
4 PvP maps

Again not 36% of vanilla destiny.

I have doubts that The Taken King will come anywhere close to matching the base game for value.


Selling the content the way they are is a terrible PR move. The digital store front on both Xbox One and PS4 are very robust and capable of offering the entire thing in an à la carte way allowing users to pick up The Taken King and subsequent items like emotes.

Hell, What about the Blacksmith shader which I frequently get people asking me about how I got it or the Ghost Shell. Add those too.

What about an even better idea, Reward the loyal players with some emotes instead of the new guys? Give those loyal players something other than "temporal rewards" give them a way to say "I was here Day 1 and that's why I have this shader" or "I finished VoG when it was a challenge because everyone was a level 28 and not a level 34"

I don't feel like Bungie give a shit about me as a player. Firstly thanks to my platform choice (a platform that Bungie has a very strong existing fan base and back history with) I'm waiting a year to play a strike and get exotics my PS4 bros have had since launch and now I'm buying the same content I already own again and my PS4 bros are getting another year of exclusive content. I stomach all that and now your rewarding new players with big savings and exclusive content and dicking me over again.

PvP events with exclusive emblem rewards and a chance to play against bungie? Not if your an Xbox player.

The PR from bungie since day 1 has been filled with arrogance. Throw me a bone. Make me feel valued as a player because despite how much fun I'm having with your game I'm getting frustrated continually by your PR responses and the way your treat the "other half" of your community
 

moorecore

Neo Member
I own Destiny (disc) and The Expansion Pass (PS4/UK)

I'd like to get The Taken King and get Destiny digitally as well.

It turns out I can't download a standalone copy of Destiny-I can only buy it bundled WITH the expansion pass OR bundled with both the expansion pass and the Taken King!

So in order to get Taken King and rebuy Destiny it's gonna cost me something like £80 when I already own a chunk of the content included in the bundle?!

That digital future...
 

Crowza

Member
I bought the original, but I did NOT purchase any expansions because the content was lacking for the price. I'd interested in jumping back in if this expansion turns out to be what I expected from the original game, but... In order to get it I would have to buy the two expansions that I wasn't interested in, before I could spend $40 on it, right? Those two expansions are still $20 each, right? On top of that, my other option would be to rebuy the entire game for $80...

Seriously, Bungie?

Seriously??? I imagine that others are in the same boat as me, and this is how they are attempting to entice players back?

Just, no. God no.
 

barit

Member
Gross. Even real MMO's like FFXIV let you upgrade the core game/addon to the CE version for a small fee so that you don't have to miss out on any item. Wtf is wrong with Bungie/Activison? There was a time that this game was very high on my must-have list but since the release and the constant lackluster of content and promises it's a complete trainwreck for me now.
 
Yeah I know. I'm saying that I hope the new missions that are on Venus, Earth, Mars and the Moon are not in the same play spaces as the missions we already have. I want new levels within the same planets. I don't want to run the Septkis Prime strike backwards again.

Ahh sorry for misunderstanding.

I figure we shall do a lot of backtracking in this expansion with a few bits to keep things fresh.

The Hive ship will be the only new main content area imo.

And again, if the first year of Destiny is anything to go by, we'll see two more DLC expansions which will include new strikes and story missions, but they'll take place in areas we've already been through dozens of times, only backwards. One new destination doesn't seem like nearly enough for that.

Unless we should expect something very different for year two...

Agreed. I can't stand running through the same environments again for 40 quid.

Bungee haven't set a precedent of new locations with their previous dlc so my expectations are set very low.
 

PooBone

Member
Grossest thing I read:

Luke Smith: "There is no way right now for you to get the new dance emotes without doing that. Those are Collector's Edition exclusive. We've set some stuff aside for that edition specifically to really make it appeal to fans who have engaged with the game already and also to people that will enter the game this autumn.

I know when I've spent $100 minimum and exhausted a game's content for hundreds of hours the thing I want that's REALLY GONNA APPEAL TO ME is paying an arm and a leg for all that content I already own with the addition of some dancing emotes.

Fuck right off with your Activi$ion ways.

Seriously??? I imagine that others are in the same boat as me, and this is how they are attempting to entice players back?

Just, no. God no.
Ditto.
 
I bought the original, but I did NOT purchases any expansions because the content was lacking for the price. I'd interested in jumping back in if this expansion turns out to be what I expected from the original game, but... In order to get it I would have to buy the two expansions that I wasn't interested in, before I could spend $40 on it, right? Those two expansions are still $20 each, right? On top of that, my other option would be to rebuy the entire game for $80...

Seriously, Bungie?

Seriously??? I imagine that others are in the same boat as me, and this is how they are attempting to entice players back?

Just, no. God no.

It's just $60 to buy Vanilla, Dark Below, Wolves + Taken King. $80 is the collectors edition.
 
If Blizzard can get away with 40 dollar expansions then Activision can too. Pay Up!
I don't usually feel ripped off by Blizzard expansions though, because they come with hundreds of hours of content.

I think the issue is that these Destiny expansions don't have enough content to be considered expansions. They're closer to what other games would call content patches, and are usually free.
 

Sullichin

Member
Ahh sorry for misunderstanding.

I figure we shall do a lot of backtracking in this expansion with a few bits to keep things fresh.

The Hive ship will be the only new main content area imo.



Agreed. I can't stand running through the same environments again for 40 quid.

Bungee haven't set a precedent of new locations with their previous dlc so my expectations are set very low.


"these hive tunnels go on for miles. We'll never explore them all"

So true. Because you keep taking me back to the same one :(
 

cakely

Member
Anyone wbo buys this is basically trying to get the game industry to crash.

I wonder how many Destiny players take the piss out of mobile.

I'm in! Would you like me to take a screenshot of me crashing the game industry when I spend my $40? I can do that for you.
 
I don't know how to feel with this interview. The guy seemed surprisingly honest in his responses about the extra content in the collector's edition being both a gift to new players and a way to part more money from fans who have requested things such as new emotes since day 1. And the pretty much *wink wink* to the fact that emotes will be purchasable come the Taken King launch (probably a mix of real money and maybe stuff earned/found/bought in game?).

As for content, the problem is this: The expansion pass was $40 for TDB&HoW. There are about what, 8 story missions, a raid, a poor diversion for a raid, and PvP maps. People were disappointed on that content. At $40, does the Taken King have the same or preferably MORE content than the Expansion Pass? I am hoping so as we all know there is going to be an Expansion Pass 2 after the Taken King as there must be content between the Taken King and Destiny 2.

Sadly, I am a big fan and addicted so I will definitely be getting this and the inevitable Expansion Pass 2. I just hope that the amount of content dwarfs what we got in Expansion Pass 1.

Also, found this funny from the Destiny Reddit:
[SGA] When The Taken King drops, remember to go through each environment backwards so you're ready for all the missions and strikes in expansions III and IV!

Pretty apt.

If Blizzard can get away with 40 dollar expansions then Activision can too. Pay Up!

*sigh* The amount wrong in that quote is astounding. Sure one can argue about having to subscribe to WoW for that content, but really, for $40, the amount of content in a WoW expansion is staggering.
 
biggest regret of 2014: buying the destiny season pass ahead of time.

Same here. I beat the raid from the first DLC drop in like 3 hours on the release day after having taken a break from Destiny for months. Then proceeded to tell my raid buddies I was done with the game as I realized I was buying into the promise of a game that would never be fully realized. I sold it the next day. I was seriously considering trying it out again when Taken Kings was released... but there's absolutely no way I will touch that game now. I'm voting with my wallet and saying "fuck off Activision".
 

Pooya

Member
Their new content sounds mildly interesting to me, I definitely want to try it at some point but for really really cheap. I don't have the base game anymore either so I just wait. It feels the later you get into Destiny the better your experience is anyway. Normally I wouldn't care about a game I kind of hated like Destiny and wouldn't look back, the thing is I really loved their art direction and even bought the art book, the world had promise.

It's a really frustrating situation how this game turned out at launch and everything around it post release with content pricing and interviews like this don't give any hope for better times either, it's the deal with it attitude Bungie has had with this game that really pisses people off, it could have been so much more, but it's amazing even with all that crap happening they're seemingly doing fine with the game, any other game would have been abandoned and died by now.
 
I'll preface this by saying I've preordered the physical CE and I already own the Ghost Edition of Vanilla Destiny. I have the disposable income and I'm relatively free of commitments so I have no issue doing this. I'm also a big collector and having the physical stuff like the coin and the steelbook and stuff is a plus to me.

All that said the pricing structure of this whole thing is way off.

I'll use UK prices here since it's my native currency. I'm also listing the Xbox details since that is my platform and I'm paying the same amount for less content (thanks for that Activision)

Destiny Base game is £54.99
Dark Below DLC 1 is £20
House of Wolves DLC 2 is £20
Taken King Expansion 1 is £39.99

Dark Below contains

4 Story Missions (Worth noting that they are about 1h30 of content combined)
1 Strike
1 Raid
4 PvP maps

That isn't anywhere close to being 36% of What vanilla destiny offered.

House of Wolves contains

6 Story Missions (about 2-2h30 of content combined)
1 Strike
1 Arena (much weaker content that a Raid but fun)
4 PvP maps

Again not 36% of vanilla destiny.

I have doubts that The Taken King will come anywhere close to matching the base game for value.


Selling the content the way they are is a terrible PR move. The digital store front on both Xbox One and PS4 are very robust and capable of offering the entire thing in an à la carte way allowing users to pick up The Taken King and subsequent items like emotes.

Hell, What about the Blacksmith shader which I frequently get people asking me about how I got it or the Ghost Shell. Add those too.

What about an even better idea, Reward the loyal players with some emotes instead of the new guys? Give those loyal players something other than "temporal rewards" give them a way to say "I was here Day 1 and that's why I have this shader" or "I finished VoG when it was a challenge because everyone was a level 28 and not a level 34"

I don't feel like Bungie give a shit about me as a player. Firstly thanks to my platform choice (a platform that Bungie has a very strong existing fan base and back history with) I'm waiting a year to play a strike and get exotics my PS4 bros have had since launch and now I'm buying the same content I already own again and my PS4 bros are getting another year of exclusive content. I stomach all that and now your rewarding new players with big savings and exclusive content and dicking me over again.

PvP events with exclusive emblem rewards and a chance to play against bungie? Not if your an Xbox player.

The PR from bungie since day 1 has been filled with arrogance. Throw me a bone. Make me feel valued as a player because despite how much fun I'm having with your game I'm getting frustrated continually by your PR responses and the way your treat the "other half" of your community

Great post. I said earlier in the thread that they should give these extra things to the loyal players that have the game and the 2 expansions. This way they can build some good will with the community while still offering something to people who have yet to pick up the game. Asking people to rebuy all of the same stuff again is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard of.
 

Sullichin

Member
I bought the original, but I did NOT purchase any expansions because the content was lacking for the price. I'd interested in jumping back in if this expansion turns out to be what I expected from the original game, but... In order to get it I would have to buy the two expansions that I wasn't interested in, before I could spend $40 on it, right? Those two expansions are still $20 each, right? On top of that, my other option would be to rebuy the entire game for $80...

Seriously, Bungie?

Seriously??? I imagine that others are in the same boat as me, and this is how they are attempting to entice players back?

Just, no. God no.

Unless I'm misunderstanding you can just buy TTK separately by itself if you don't care about the other stuff...

I have both of the DLCs and that's what I plan on doing: just buying TTK digitally. Why not just do that?
 

ShinMaruku

Member
I love how people always Blame Acitivision when this could easily be from within bungie when they got this much money from Destiny.
From you saw they aped MMOs you should know you are going to be ripped off.
 
The dedicated players eat up all the bullshit they serve. Not surprised at all


I love how people always Blame Acitivision when this could easily be from within bungie when they got this much money from Destiny.
From you saw they aped MMOs you should know you are going to be ripped off.

Yeah I don't think you can blame their tone deafness and the arrogance in the way they talk on activision. That's all on Bungie
 
I'm in! Would you like me to take a screenshot of me crashing the game industry when I spend my $40? I can do that for you.

Nah, you can waste your money on shitty cash grabs without telling me. I've bought at least three of the highest rated games of this year day of release for cheaper than this expansion, so I hope you really fucking enjoy it.
 

93xfan

Banned
Fuck Activision!! Fuck them right back because that's what they just said to us. I'm ready to explore other options for multiplayer this fall even though I've given so much time to this game.
 
Don't get it on Xbox, because you're still going to be missing like 1/3 of the content by that point.

Yep. I don't care for exclusive content either way(I was one of those cheering when Mass Effect went multiplatform rather than claiming Square Enix betrayed me when FF went multiplatform because I'm not a cuntstain) but I can forgive a month long window of exclusivity.

A year? Fuck off.
 

Crowza

Member
Unless I'm misunderstanding you can just buy TTK separately by itself if you don't care about the other stuff...

I have both of the DLCs and that's what I plan on doing: just buying TTK digitally. Why not just do that?

I didn't see that option in the store, so I could just be confused. If I could buy TTK by itself (while only owning vanilla Destiny), I'd be far more interested if it turns out to be good.
 
This isn't the first time Destiny has had Collector's Edition exclusives:

I4EJLPD.jpg


My god, look at that amazing content I've missed out on. The horror.
 
They did, but they're not calling Phobos a new destination (like the Earth, Moon, Venus and Mars in the core game), only the Dreadnought. Maybe its just the one mission? I dunno.

A leak suggests Saturn is playable also.

Saturn
Phobos
Oryx's Dreadnaught

But to what extent they are playable is unconfirmed.



This isn't the first time Destiny has had Collector's Edition exclusives:


My god, look at that amazing content I've missed out on. The horror.

You are completely missing the point. The main take homes are

New players are getting exclusive content instead of the legacy players.
If you want the new content the only way is to buy the existing content again.

That new exclusive content also offers increased XP gain. Which is beyond just cosmetic.
 

KJRS_1993

Member
Did the interviewer fail math or something? 2/3rds isn't almost the same. It's closer to "almost half"...

Errr y'what?
Newly released games are usually sold for around £40!
It's even more than almost the same - The Taken King is the cost of a brand new game entirely.

Which is why they can do one.
 

haikira

Member
Did the interviewer fail math or something? 2/3rds isn't almost the same. It's closer to "almost half"...

Destiny was about £47.00 on launch here in the UK, most places I looked. Last I checked, £39.99 is not two thirds of £47.00.
 

a916

Member
Errr y'what?
Newly released games are usually sold for around £40!
It's even more than almost the same - The Taken King is the cost of a brand new game entirely.

Which is why they can do one.

Destiny was about £47.00 on launch here in the UK, most places I looked. Last I checked, £39.99 is not two thirds of £47.00.


Pardon my ignorance then... because it's $40 USD for the DLC and $60 for new games, I figured the prices for brand new games reflected that as well.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Blizzard adds new classes, races, a new continent, and a shitzillion hours of gameplay. They aren't really comparable.

Yeah, Starcraft and Warcraft expansions seem like a cornucopia of excessive and riches compared to the pricing for this.

DLC pricing has always been interesting, in that I completely understand why people complain about paying $10 or $20 for, generally, less than 1/nth of the game that the price would indicate, but it's in many ways probably a much better model for getting devs paid, it's a way of extending the appeal of the game and for pursuing novel elements or stories that wouldn't work financially or otherwise in a normal game setting (Bioshock 2's "Minerva's Den" is an excellent example.)

With that said I cannot think of any game I've spent as much money on as Bungie and Activision are asking with their DLC for Destiny, and judging by Bungie's actions pre-acquisition and even during their time with Microsoft, it seems like they've decided that they'd rather trade on the goodwill of some of their players and eat up the money of the diehards—that calculation seems to come out in their favor no matter what.

It might be confirmation bias, but I'm definitely happy I passed on the game after being underwhelmed by the beta.
 
i seen somewhere DESTINY whole pack for 39,99 quid....

ok higher price.

http://www.gameseek.co.uk/pd/VideoGames9huunkzkby/Destiny--The-Taken-King
That's cheaper than Amazon.uk but still too much. I mean it says
As a thank you to our most loyal fans who have reached Light Level 30 or who previously purchased Expansion I and Expansion II by August 31, 2015, you will receive an exclusive commemorative Founder’s Fortune Year 1 Emblem, Sparrow, Armour Shader and more at launch with your purchase of The Taken King
but these aren't free as you're buying the original game again. If that Gameseek price was £35 I'd think about it. But as of now no fucking way.
 

KJRS_1993

Member
Pardon my ignorance then... because it's $40 USD for the DLC and $60 for new games, I figured the prices for brand new games reflected that as well.

Not in the UK dude, it's $40 in the US, and £40 in the UK.
If the American's think they're getting ripped off, us Limey's are gutted!
 
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